Written by

Malia Rulon Herman

Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — The fishing industry in New Jersey and New York will be eligible for federal disaster assistance following the devastation caused by superstorm Sandy, the Commerce Department announced Friday.

That means the area’s commercial fishermen and recreational businesses could receive emergency financial relief, including reimbursement for losses, equipment repair and replacement, restoration of ecosystems and fisheries, and job retraining. Congress still would need to approve the funding, however.

In the meantime, the declaration immediately authorizes the Small Business Administration to issue disaster loans to help businesses with qualifying uninsured physical damage or other economic injury.

“Thousands of families and businesses rely on New Jersey’s fishing industry, and today’s declaration is a crucial first step to bring federal support to fishermen across the region,” said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.

The extent of the damage caused by Sandy to local commercial and recreational fisheries and coastal infrastructure is not yet known, but it’s expected to be substantial. The Commerce Department will work with the states to evaluate Sandy’s impact on the state’s fishing industry.

Greg DiDomenico, executive director of the Garden State Seafood Association, which represents commercial fishing ports, praised the area lawmakers for backing their request for the disaster declaration.

“We’re really encouraged by how quickly not only our governor but virtually our whole coastal delegation got behind this,” he said, explaining that federal funds will be needed to repair fishing infrastructure, such as the Port of Belford in Middletown, which sustained significant structural damage from the storm.

“It’s almost a total rebuild,” he said, adding that although the Port of Point Pleasant is doing business again, it also sustained damage. Additionally, many ports were closed for 10 days to two weeks due to power loss.

“So there’s going to be an associated loss of revenue there as well,” he said.

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In 2011, New Jersey’s commercial fishing industry landed about 175 million pounds of seafood, generating more than $1.3 million in economic activity. The economic impact of recreational fishing supports about 8,500 jobs and $1.4 million in annual sales.

The funding to repair and restore the fishing industry is likely to be included in a larger supplementary spending bill for Sandy disaster relief that lawmakers are discussing. It’s unclear how quickly Congress will act.

LoBiondo, chairman of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, praised the Commerce Department for the swift action.

“As we continue to determine the full scale of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, swift federal, state and local action can ensure a devastating situation isn’t made worse through inaction,” he said.

On Wednesday, Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank was in New Jersey, where she met with local business leaders in Elizabeth and at the Port of Newark to discuss efforts to rebuild the region in the aftermath of Sandy.